Leather compacting machine using work surface conforming anvils



Jan. 16, 1951 M. MAESER ET AL LEATHER COMPACTING MACHINE USING WORKSURFACE CONFORMING ANVILS Filed Feb. 24, 1950 nwen fors Miezh Maeser-Richard WDanieZs, J7".

Patented Jan. 16, 1951 LEATHER GOMPAGTING MACHINE USING WORK SURFACECONFORMING ANVILS Mieth Maescr, Beverly, and Richard W. Daniels, Jr.,Salem, Mass, assignors to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flcmington,N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application February 24, 1950, SerialNo. 146,056

9 Claims. (01. 69--1) This invention relates to machines for compressingand setting leather, and more partic-.

ularly to leather compacting machines with an improved anvil structure,this type of machine being disclosed in the application for LettersPatent of the United States Serial No. 112,446, filed August 26, 1949,in the names of John J. Maciejowski and Richard W. Daniels, Jr.

The machine disclosed in the above-referredto application Serial No.112,446 is capable of performing excellent work and producingsatisfactory sole leather. The heavy leather worked upon is fed orguided through the machine by means of suitable infeed and dischargerollers and with the grain side down. Two spaced rows of reciprocatingmembers are located beneath the path of the work. Each row is preferablyjoined by a horizontal flat bar (hereincalled a compacting member)adapted to act on the grain side of the work and anvils are placed incooperative positions to back up the flesh side of the work. In usingsuch a machine it has been found that with some hides the action of themachine on the leather does not produce as uniform and smooth results aswould be desirable. Some hides are more irregular than others inthickness and/or density but whatever the reason may be definite marksor variable effects are often formed in the work by the machine andthese marks or effects are clearly apparent on both sides of theleather. Such marks or apparent variations in effective treatment of thework are objectionable in so far as the appearance of the products isconcerned when such products are intended to be of fine quality.

It is an object of this invention to provide a machine in which theabove-referred-to difiiculties are avoided and which is capable ofimproving the quality of work performed as judged by experiencedtanners.

A complete machine is disclosed in the application Serial No. 112,446and as the present inven tion relates to the anvil means or structurewith.- out any modification of the other parts of the machine beingessential, the present specification and drawings are specificallydirected to the anvil structure and only'such adjacent machine parts asare essential for a clear understanding of the invention. In the use ofthe present invention the situation is similar to that pertaining to themachine of the application Serial No.

112,446 in that either the anvils or the compacting members may beconsidered as the backing members for it is obvious with the type ofmachine disclosed that the work must be squeezed or compacted from bothsides and that either the anvils or the compacting members or both maybe yieldable.

A feature of the present invention and as embodied in the machineillustrated is a multiple or sectional anvil construction in whichinterengaging continguous anvils or anvil sections present opposing sidefaces which are transverse to the path or direction of feed in which awork piece is to be conveyed through the machine. This is the equivalentof providing a continuity of work impacting surface extending along theanvil sections and transverse to the path of feed of the work. Anotherfeature of the invention is an arrangement of contiguous anvils in amachine in one or more rows, each anvil having a work impact portionarranged to pivot about an axis which is parallel with the path in whicha work piece may be passed through the machine and thereby tilts andaccommodates itself to the varying thickness of the work. Still anotherfeature is a pivoted or work thickness conforming anvil means or memberwhich is yieldingly mounted or spring loaded for compacting leather, themeans or member being arranged for cooperation with a reciprocating orwork compacting member.

The important aspects of the invention will now be described in detailin the specification and then pointed out more particularly in theclaims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a sectional view taken along the line of feed and through thatportion of a leather .compacting machine in which the present inventionis embodied;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of parts shown in. Fig. 1 with a sectionalView along the line 11-11 of Fig. 1' through one anvil and drawn on anenlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of a partial row of anvils showing the preferredform of anvil construction, .as depicted in Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of one anvil drawn on an enlarged scaleand illustrating the tilting or pivoting action of the anvil.

The illustrated machine is substantially the same as that disclosed inapplication Serial No. 112,446 in that two feed rolls l0 and I2 areutilized at the front of the machine to feed a work piece W in ahorizontal plane and to the bite of two discharge rolls (not shown). Atop guide plate l4 and bottom plates l6, l8 and 29 are arranged to guidethe work piece W through a work treating zone. The frame 22 ofthe'machine includes a top casting 24 which extends transversely acrossthe machine and to which is attached two anvil retaining castings 26 and28. Above the casting 26, the casting 24 supports a row of threaded pins36 and above the casting 28 it retains a row of threaded pins 32. Thepins 3 are in staggered relation with respect to the pins 32 and asviewed in the direc tion of feed. The machine frame 22 also carries alower main casting 38 in which two rows of reciprocating members 40 aredriven by power means (not shown). One row is directly beneath the pins30 and is joined by a horizontal flat bar or work compactor M. The otherrow is joined by a compactor 42 (Fig. 1) arranged beneath the pins 32.The castings 2'6 and 28 are bored to receive cylindrical sleeve inserts43 over which are retained strips 44 of resilient shock absorbingmaterial such as rubber or neoprene impregnated fabric. The lower endsof the pins 30, 32 are provided with reduced end portions 46. Thestructure thus far described is substantially the same as that shown inap plication Serial No. 112,446.

The present invention is concerned with an improved anvil structure andthe castings 26 and 28 are provided with special anvils the upperportions of which are flanged and these flanges are rectangular in shapeand their abutting sides are shown in Fig. 2. These flanges rest uponthe shock absorbing strips 44. Each anvil 50 includes a dependingcylindrical sleeve 52 which is in slidable relation with a cylindricalsleeve insert 43. Opposite portions of each of the sleeves 52 are cutaway for a short distance above the bottom ends of the correspondingsleeve insert 43, as seen in Fig. 2. The remaining portions of each ofthe sleeves 52 extend a greater distance downwardy and in these portionsis journaled a pin '68. Pivoted on the pins iii] are anvil blocks 62 andsprings 64 bear down upon these blocks from the pins 30 or 32 by meansof which the spring compression or loading may be adjusted. The blocks62 are parts of the work compacting members and each block is preferablyT-shaped in so far as its work contacting surface is concerned as shownin Fig. 3 and is provided with an arc of curvature on its under sidewhich is tangential to and reciprocable in the path of movement of thework being fed through the machine. It will be noted that the pins 60are parallel to the direction of feed of the work and that these pinscannot be displaced from their positions in that respect be-- cause theflanges 52 are rectangular and are in abutting relation as above stated.

Fig. 3 shows a plurality of anvils in their preferred form so far astheir work impacting surfaces are concerned. It will be noted that theopposed side faces and 72 of contiguous anvils are transverse or normalto the direction of feed of the work. These faces may be obliquelypositioned if desired, the essential factor being that these faces(where they intersect the main sur-- faces of contact with the work) donot oppose each other in such a way as to be parallel to the line offeed and thereby make lines in the leather. The interlocking of theblocks 52 or the work impacting surfaces as illustrated in Fig. 3eliminates any possible objectionable lines 01' localized indentationswhich would otherwise be produced in the leather by virtue of thepartition of the anvil means into a number of separate anvils.

1 Fig. 4 shows an extreme tilted position of an anvil 62, but it will beappreciated that such an angle is likely to be assumed only at the edgeof a work piece. Surfaces or shoulders 14 (Fig. 4) constitute stop meanslimiting the tilting angle. The effect of tilting the blocks 62 or thework impacting surfaces about the pins 60 is to make the compacting ofthe leather more uniform despite the customary variations of the leatherin thickness or density. Adequate clearance is maintained between thetilting blocks so that theshoulders l4 and not the adjacent blocks areadapted to serve as the stop means.

Sole leather has been compacted with excellent results in a machineusing the features of the present invention and both the grain surfaceand the flesh side of each work piece exhibit no objectionable markswhich may be said to be effected by the pounding or compressive actionto which the leather is subjected by the machine.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine for compacting leather, a frame, means for feeding awork piece through the machine in a given path, work compacting memberson one side of said path, contiguous anvils on the other side of saidpath, the said members and anvils being arranged on said frame tocooperate and compact leather in said path, and said anvils presentingopposed side faces which are transverse to the direction of feed of thework piece.

2. In a machine for compacting hides, a frame,

' reciprocable work compacting members and cooperative anvils mounted inopposed positions in said frame, means for feeding a work piece in apath leading between said members and said anvils, and said anvilspresenting opposed side faces which are transverse to the direction offeed of the work piece.

3. In a machine for compacting hides, a frame, reciprocable workcompacting members and interengaging contiguous anvils mounted in saidframe in cooperative relation, means for guiding a work piece in a pathleading between said members and said anvils, and each of said anvilshaving a T-shaped work impacting surface.

4. In a machine for compacting hides, a frame, a reciprocable workcompacting member and cooperative anvil means on said frame, said anvilmeans being yieldably mounted and in alinement with said compactingmember, means for guiding a work piece in a path leading between saidmember and said anvil means, and the work impacting surface of saidanvil being movable to accommodate itself t the thickness of said workpiece.

5. In a machine for compacting hides, a frame, reciprocable workcompacting members and c0- operative anvils mounted on said frame, meansfor guiding a work piece through said machine in a path leading betweensaid members and said anvils, and the work impacting portions of eachanvil being pivotally mounted.

6. In a machine for compacting hides, a frame, means for feeding andguiding a work piece in a path leading through the machine, power drivenreciprocable work compacting members mounted on said frame on one sideof said path, contiguous anvils mounted on the other side of said pathand in cooperative relation with said compacting members, the saidanvils being spring loaded and each anvil having a work impactingportion which is ivoted about an axis parallel to said path and which isT-shaped with an arc of curvature tangential to said path.

7. In a machine for compacting leatherfa frame, means for guiding a workpiece in a path through the machine, reciprocable work compactingmembers mounted on said frame and on one side f said path, anvil meansarranged on the other side of said path and in cooperative relation withsaid compacting members and comprising a plurality of yielding sectionspresenting a continuity of work impacting surface extending along saidsections and transverse to said path.

8. In a machine for compacting leather, a

frame, reciprocable work compacting members in 15 said frame, anvilmeans arranged to cooperate with said members and compact work passedbetween said means and said members, said anvil means comprising aplurality of sections adapted to tilt and move bodily, independentyieldable and adjustable holding means for each section, and those ofsaid sections which are contiguous interengaging to present at least oneanvil surface to all parts of said work.

9. In a machine for compacting leather, a frame, reciprocable workcompacting members on said frame, and anvil means arranged to cooperatewith said members comprising a plurality of interengaging and yieldingsections having contiguous work impacting surfaces presentin noshoulders or projections to mark the work.

MIETH MAESER, RICHARD W. DANIELS, Ja.

No references cited.

